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In a recent blog post, small group specialist Mark Howell writes: When you are a beginner, you do what beginners can do. Think about when a newborn turns over for the very first time. Or takes their first step. Or puts a phrase together. Clearly, there are things that you do when you are a

In a recent blog post, small group specialist Mark Howell shared his “secret” formula for recruiting small group leaders and facilitators. He offers five steps for how to bring your prospective leader to a “yes.” In the post, he also provides a link to a simple job description you can give your leaders. Read full

In a recent blog post, small group specialist Mark Howell gave seven practical ideas for how to ring in the new year with your small group. Click here to read the entire article, but here are the seven ideas to help you plan: Schedule a connecting opportunity in late January or early February. This will provide

Today on his blog, small group specialist Mark Howell talks about what to do when your small group is stuck: “Our small group ministry is stuck” is one of the most common concerns I hear from small group pastors and senior pastors about small group ministry. “How can we get unstuck?” is definitely one of the

Is there one “best way” to do small group ministry? Should you let every group choose its own curriculum? Should you base everything off the pastor’s sermons? Should the pastor base everything off the small group plan? These are all good questions. How do you determine what is right for your context? On the blog

It’s October. The new school year is in full swing. And for churches that begin a new season of small groups in the fall, you’re already in it with both feet. Nevertheless, there’s always opportunities to step back, breathe, and evaluate. With that in mind, small group specialist Mark Howell offers 5 Things Every Small

Don’t get us wrong: We are fans of church-wide campaigns—those regular points in the church calendar in which every age group is studying the same thing, the pastor is reinforcing the small group emphases from the pulpit, and maybe even the choir and worship teams are lined up singing songs that support the theme. Bible

A phrase in a current car commercial caught my ear while I was watching TV last night: “If the automobile had been invented today, it would have been electric.” I don’t know if that’s an accurate statement or not. Still, thinking through what you would do differently if you were creating something today is a

This week on his blog, small group specialist Mark Howell reviews Matt Chandler’s latest small group resource, Recovering Redemption. Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, Texas, has authored a number of books and resources for small groups, including To Live is Christ and The Explicit Gospel. Read Mark’s blog here.

Today on his blog, small group expert Mark Howell talks about 5 small group ministry myths that need busting. He lists all five, but really unpacks the first one: An important key to growing the number of groups in your small group ministry is for every leader to have an apprentice. So, does every small